THE EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST SOCIETY IN USING
SOLAR DISINFECTION SYSTEM "SODIS"

Dr. Narendra Kumar Mallick
IBS, Lumbini

Dr. Mallick (left) in a village near Lumbini

BACKGROUND:

International Buddhist
Society (IBS) is implementing the Health focused program in the
Rupendehi district since 1993. The main program of the IBS includes
free health clinic in its office premises at Buddhanagar, Lumbini and
Community Health and sanitation program in the 17 cluster villages of
6 VDCs of the Lumbini area. In the community level it is providing
the health education program, literacy and supporting the small scale
community sanitation schemes i.e., Hand pump (depth more than 190
feet), artesian pump, drainage and community toilet program. Exchange
Himalayan, France has been providing funding to this program since
1996. Now it is moving towards the third phase of the programmes and
also working with the collaboration of Cross Flow/Nepal. It is
currently employing 15 Nepalese staff. Overall programme of the
organization is being periodically reviewed internally with the staff
and with the community.

WHAT IS SODIS:

* A treatment method to
eliminate the pathogens which cause water-borne diseases

* Ideal to disinfect
small quantities of water used for consumption

* A water treatment
process depending on solar energy only

* An alternative water
treatment option for use mainly at household level

* An old but so far
hardly applied water purification method

SODIS PROGRAMME IN IBS:

Dr. Peter Moulton,
Executive Director of Global Resources Institute of Eugene, Oregon,
U.S.A., was pleased to work with IBS to implement SODIS programme.
The SODIS program has been conducted by IBS since 1999. SODIS program
is implemented in 9 villages of 6 VDCs. The most basic of the solar
disinfection systems that Dr. Peter Moulton has introduced purifies
water in plastic bottles by exposure to day light which provides both
solar disinfection and solar heating to aid the disinfection process.
The bottles are placed on racks at an angle to maximize their
exposure to the sun and to keep them away from animals and other
sources of contamination.

PROCESS OF SODIS PROGRAMME:

A - Before starting this
program, women's group leaders were oriented on SODIS technology by
IBS for 3 days.

B - Black painted sheet
and 20 plastic mineral water bottles were provided for each of 5
houses for SODIS experiment.

C - The field tests did
confirm the effectiveness of SODIS. Tests were made to determine the
time required for disinfection using bottles on the blackened rack,
bottles set in direct sunlight and bottles set in open shade. Also
tests in direct sunlight were made with an aged, scratched and
discolored bottle for comparison with new bottles.

D - After using this
process the water is 100% free from contamination.

E - After using the
bottles for one and half months we replace them because scratched
& discolored bottles are not used.

F - To ensure the
specific result, IBS motivators test the water by Hydrogen Sulphide
every 15 days.

G - 5573 population of 9
villages are interested to this program and they call it
"GHAMPANI" program.

H - Due to the regular
motivation and successful SODIS experiment the villagers are using
this water confidently.

LESSONS LEARNED:

Program can be
implemented through health post, schools, DDC and VDC in the
following sectors:

1. School level: Students
are being taught about this SODIS experiment under school health program.

2. Health post level:
Clean drinking water is not only important for general health but is
also important for preparing oral rehydration formulas for child
birth, for women's hygiene and for other health concerns.

3. Commercial sector: In
many tourist areas plastic mineral water bottles have become an
environmental problem. Providing clean drinking water through SODIS
and refilling the plastic bottles would reduce the number of
discarded bottles and provide increased local income. Such program
would require the development of consumer confidence through
extensive education and through rigorous quality assurance and testing.

4. Community level: In
all clean water programs, testing of water quality is essential in
order to distinguish safe from unsafe water and in order to monitor
the effectiveness of any purification methods. Coordinate village
monitoring program and to make available simple presence/absence test
for biological contamination such as the Hydrogen sulphide test.

In general it must be
viable in the tourist flow regions.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES:

* Develop procedures for
data collection, recording and reporting

* Develop educational and
training materials

* Assigned a staff and
testing facilities for implementing the SODIS

* Provide staff training

* Provide education and
training in clean water to villagers

* Train villagers in the
use of SODIS and provide equipment

* Monitor and ensure the process

* Evaluate the results of SODIS

* Disseminate information
to the concerned and like-minded organization

* Use in the massive scale

SUMMARY OF OUT-COMES:

Clean drinking water for
all inhabitants of villages served in SODIS

Data base of water and
well conditions

Evaluation of technology

Evaluation of education
and training materials and procedures employed in the SODIS

Materials for training
and education

Materials and procedures
for data collection, recording and reporting

Strategy for clean water
program in other areas implemented by the NGOs